Story of Báyazíd's—may God sanctify his spirit—saying, "Glory to me! How grand is my estate!" and the objection raised by his disciples, and how he gave them an answer to this, not by the way of speech but by the way of vision (immediate experience).

با مریدان آن فقیر محتشم ** بایزید آمد که نک یزدان منم

That venerable dervish, Báyazíd, came to his disciples, saying, “Lo, I am God.”

گفت مستانه عیان آن ذوفنون ** لا اله الا انا ها فاعبدون

That master of the (mystic) sciences said plainly in drunken fashion, “Hark, there is no god but I, so worship me.”

چون گذشت آن حال گفتندش صباح ** تو چنین گفتی و این نبود صلاح

When that ecstasy had passed, they said to him at dawn, “Thou saidest such and such, and this is impiety.”

گفت این بار ار کنم من مشغله ** کاردها بر من زنید آن دم هله2105

He said, “This time, if I make a scandal, come on at once and dash knives into me.

حق منزه از تن و من با تنم ** چون چنین گویم بباید کشتنم

God transcends the body, and I am with the body: ye must kill me when I say a thing like this.”

چون وصیت کرد آن آزادمرد ** هر مریدی کاردی آماده کرد

When that (spiritual) freeman gave the injunction, each disciple made ready a knife.

مست گشت او باز از آن سغراق زفت ** آن وصیتهاش از خاطر برفت

Again he (Báyazíd) became intoxicated by that potent flagon: those injunctions vanished from his mind.

نقل آمد عقل او آواره شد ** صبح آمد شمع او بیچاره شد

The Dessert came: his reason became distraught. The Dawn came: his candle became helpless.

عقل چون شحنه‌ست چون سلطان رسید ** شحنه‌ی بیچاره در کنجی خزید2110

Reason is like the prefect: when the sultan arrives, the helpless prefect creeps into a corner.

عقل سایه‌ی حق بود حق آفتاب ** سایه را با آفتاب او چه تاب

Reason is the shadow of God: God is the sun: what power hath the shadow to resist His sun?

چون پری غالب شود بر آدمی ** گم شود از مرد وصف مردمی

When a genie prevails over (gains possession of) a man, the attributes of humanity disappear from the man.

هر چه گوید آن پری گفته بود ** زین سری زان آن سری گفته بود

Whatsoever he says, that genie will (really) have said it: the one who belongs to this side will have spoken from (the control of) the one who belongs to yonder side.

چون پری را این دم و قانون بود ** کردگار آن پری خود چون بود

Since a genie hath this influence and rule, how (much more powerful) indeed must be the Creator of that genie!

اوی او رفته پری خود او شده ** ترک بی‌الهام تازی‌گو شده2115

His (the possessed man's) “he” (personality) is gone: he has in sooth become the genie: the Turk, without (receiving) Divine inspiration, has become a speaker of Arabic.

چون به خود آید نداند یک لغت ** چون پری را هست این ذات و صفت

When he comes to himself, he does not know a word (of Arabic). Inasmuch as a genie hath this essence and quality,

پس خداوند پری و آدمی ** از پری کی باشدش آخر کمی

Then how, pray, should the Lord of genie and man have inferiority to the genie?

شیرگیر ار خون نره شیر خورد ** تو بگویی او نکرد آن باده کرد

If a pot-valiant fellow has drunk the blood of a fierce lion, you will say that the wine did it, not he;

ور سخن پردازد از زر کهن ** تو بگویی باده گفتست آن سخن

And if he fashion words of old (pure) gold, you will say that the wine has spoken those words.

باده‌ای را می‌بود این شر و شور ** نور حق را نیست آن فرهنگ و زور2120

A wine hath this (power to excite) disturbance and commotion: hath not the Light of God that virtue and potency

که ترا از تو به کل خالی کند ** تو شوی پست او سخن عالی کند

To make you entirely empty of self, (so that) you should be laid low and He should make the Word lofty (within you)?

گر چه قرآن از لب پیغامبرست ** هر که گوید حق نگفت او کافرست

Though the Qur’án is (dictated) from the lips of the Prophet —if any one says God did not speak it, he is an infidel.

چون همای بی‌خودی پرواز کرد ** آن سخن را بایزید آغاز کرد

When the humá of selflessness took wing (and soared), Báyazíd began (to repeat) those words.

عقل را سیل تحیر در ربود ** زان قوی‌تر گفت که اول گفته بود

The flood of bewilderment swept away his reason: he spoke more strongly than he had spoken at first,

نیست اندر جبه‌ام الا خدا ** چند جویی بر زمین و بر سما2125

(Saying), “Within my mantle there is naught but God: how long wilt thou seek on the earth and in heaven?”

آن مریدان جمله دیوانه شدند ** کاردها در جسم پاکش می‌زدند

All the disciples became frenzied and dashed their knives at his holy body.

هر یکی چون ملحدان گرده کوه ** کارد می‌زد پیر خود را بی ستوه

Like the heretics of Girdakúh, every one was ruthlessly stabbing his spiritual Director.

هر که اندر شیخ تیغی می‌خلید ** بازگونه از تن خود می‌درید

Every one who plunged a dagger into the Shaykh was reversely making a gash in his own body.

یک اثر نه بر تن آن ذوفنون ** وان مریدان خسته و غرقاب خون

There was no mark (of a wound) on the body of that possessor of the (mystic) sciences, while those disciples were wounded and drowned in blood.

هر که او سویی گلویش زخم برد ** حلق خود ببریده دید و زار مرد2130

Whoever aimed a blow at his throat saw his own throat cut, and died miserably;

وآنک او را زخم اندر سینه زد ** سینه‌اش بشکافت و شد مرده‌ی ابد

And whoever inflicted a blow on his breast, his (own) breast was riven, and he became dead for ever;

وآنک آگه بود از آن صاحب‌قران ** دل ندادش که زند زخم گران

And he that was acquainted with that (spiritual) emperor of high fortune, (and) his heart (courage) did not consent to strike a heavy blow,

نیم‌دانش دست او را بسته کرد ** جان ببرد الا که خود را خسته کرد

Half-knowledge tied his hand, (so that) he saved his life and only wounded himself.

روز گشت و آن مریدان کاسته ** نوحه‌ها از خانه‌شان برخاسته

Day broke, and the disciples were thinned: wails of lamentation arose from their house.

پیش او آمد هزاران مرد و زن ** کای دو عالم درج در یک پیرهن2135

Thousands of men and women came to him (Báyazíd), saying, “O thou in whose single shirt the two worlds are contained,

این تن تو گر تن مردم بدی ** چون تن مردم ز خنجر گم شدی

If this body of thine were a human body, it would have been destroyed, like a human body, by the daggers.”

با خودی با بی‌خودی دوچار زد ** با خود اندر دیده‌ی خود خار زد

A self-existent one encountered a selfless one in combat: the self-existent one drove a thorn into his own eye (hurt himself).

ای زده بر بی‌خودان تو ذوالفقار ** بر تن خود می‌زنی آن هوش دار

O you who stab the selfless ones with the sword, you are stabbing your own body with it. Beware!

زانک بی‌خود فانی است و آمنست ** تا ابد در آمنی او ساکنست

For the selfless one has passed away (in God) and is safe: he is dwelling in safety for ever.

نقش او فانی و او شد آینه ** غیر نقش روی غیر آن جای نه2140

His form has passed away and he has become a mirror: naught is there but the form (image) of the face of another.

گر کنی تف سوی روی خود کنی ** ور زنی بر آینه بر خود زنی

If you spit (at it), you spit at your own face; and if you strike at the mirror, you strike at yourself;

ور ببینی روی زشت آن هم توی ** ور ببینی عیسی و مریم توی

And if you see an ugly face (in that mirror), ’tis you; and if you see Jesus and Mary, ’tis you.

او نه اینست و نه آن او ساده است ** نقش تو در پیش تو بنهاده است

He is neither this nor that: he is simple (pure and free from attributes of self): he has placed your image before you.

چون رسید اینجا سخن لب در ببست ** چون رسید اینجا قلم درهم شکست

When the discourse reached this point, it closed its lips; when the pen reached this point, it broke to pieces.

لب ببند ار چه فصاحت دست داد ** دم مزن والله اعلم بالرشاد2145

Close thy lips (O my soul): though eloquence is at thy command, do not breathe a word—and God best knoweth the right way.

برکنار بامی ای مست مدام ** پست بنشین یا فرود آ والسلام

O you who are drunken with the wine (of love), you are on the edge of the roof: sit down or (else) descend, and peace be with you!

هر زمانی که شدی تو کامران ** آن دم خوش را کنار بام دان

Every moment when you enjoy (union with the Beloved), deem that delightful moment to be the edge of the roof.

بر زمان خوش هراسان باش تو ** هم‌چو گنجش خفیه کن نه فاش تو

Be trembling for (fear of losing) the delightful moment: conceal it like a treasure, do not divulge it.

تا نیاید بر ولا ناگه بلا ** ترس ترسان رو در آن مکمن هلا

Lest calamity suddenly befall (your) plighted love, take heed, go very fearfully into that place of ambush.

ترس جان در وقت شادی از زوال ** زان کنار بام غیبست ارتحال2150

The spirit's fear of loss at the moment of enjoyment is (the sign of its) departure (descent) from the hidden roof-edge.